15 Common Things That Attracts Flies To Your Home

1. Food

It does not take a genius to know flies are attracted to your home because they are searching for food. They are attracted to various food sources but prefer decaying or rotten substances like rotten meat and vegetables.

It is unlikely that your home would have rotten food substances, but even if you leave your groceries on the kitchen counter for too long on a hot day, they start to smell and might attract flies.

So if you have some lying around out in the open, chances are they are probably taking little bites here and there without you suspecting a thing. 

2. Warmth

Flies are drawn to buildings because of the heat they emit. Warm conditions encourage flies to reproduce more quickly. If you have a room with direct sunlight that makes it warm, it is suitable for flies. 

Having a warm house is what attracts flies. Though it is an unavoidable and unpreventable circumstance, you may make some effort to have a fly-free space in your home. Try to clean and maintain hygiene to avoid flies around.

3. Light

If you have ever observed flies out of boredom or other reasons, you may be aware of how they keep knocking themselves on the lights. This is because flies are sensitive to light.

When there is a bright light, they know that there are no predators nearby and fly freely only to knock themselves on the light source, and that too, repeatedly. 

It is the same with humans. When we are in a brightly lit space with our eyes closed, we can tell if a person is in front of us because the light source gets blocked, and it becomes dark suddenly. 

4. Opportune Moments

Your home is like heaven for flies. They have all the food and water they need. There are so many ideal places to lay eggs, not to mention how warm it is. And flies know this as well, which is why when the opportunity arises, they will enter your home.

By opportunities, we mean open windows and doors, cracks and gaps in the walls and floors, openings in the vents, etc. They do not need much space, for they are only ¼ inch long. That is why they are always hovering around closed windows and doors, waiting for the right moment. 

5. Garbage Cans

Most of us hate going near our garbage cans for obvious reasons. This habit causes rubbish to pile in the trash can, eventually making it difficult for the lids to close. When this happens, the stench of rubbish fills the air, attracting flies by the dozens. Insects like flies cannot see.

They navigate and locate food sources with their nose. And if they smell the garbage, there is no way they will waste an opportunity to feast in your garbage can.

Apart from feeding, flies also like to lay eggs in garbage cans. They can feed on all the rubbish while laying eggs, and once their eggs hatch, they do not have to look for food, for they are surrounded by it. 

6. Pet Food

You probably love spoiling your pet with a continuous supply of kibble and water in their food bowl, but that could be another likely fly attractant. I mean sure, your pet would love you for it, but you might want to reconsider if you want to keep your home fly-free.

Pet food left out in your pet’s food bowl all day is like offering free food to the flies, and nobody can no to free food. 

So, if you are willing to change your habit because you have had enough of the buzzings, you should portion out your pet food and feed them at the right time instead of leaving them out all day. And don’t worry, your pet will still love you.

7. Leaky Drains

Indoor fly problems sometimes start from dirty, congested outdoor drain problems. When waste collects in the drain because there is insufficient water volume to flush it, the organic matter will decay, releasing the odor of fermentation and rot. Once flies smell this, they will locate the drain and lay eggs in it because it contains potentially good food sources for their young. 

To avoid this, flush away dirt from the drains. Stubborn debris and scum etched on the drain might need to be scrubbed down and tackled with a suitable drain cleaner weekly. 

8. Animal Carcasses

You probably cannot think of why and where a dead animal would be in your home, but if you frequently use rodenticides to control mice in the house, you might want to give this a second thought. If you have a mouse problem in your home and use rat traps, they could be dead in unsuspecting places like within the walls.

Apart from rats, there could be a dead pigeon in your garden or a raccoon in the chimney or loft. All of these dead animals attract flies, and the larger they are, the more flies they attract. So, if you are wondering the reasons for what attracts the flies, then consider these things. 

9. Spilled Liquids/Food

As a responsible homeowner who prioritizes cleanliness, you have no problem cleaning up spills and food waste immediately. Therefore, you are confident that spilled food/liquid is the least of your worries. But what if these wastes are in places you cannot see, like underneath your sofas, stovetop, fridge, or behind the oven? 

You may be unable to reach these places, but the flies can. So, if you have not cleaned these areas in months, it is about time you did. If not, your home will become the ideal habitat for flies, which could lead to a full-blown infestation that nobody wants. 

10. Pet Feces

A likely source of the rapid increase in fly population in your home is animal manure, feces, and everything else because pet feces are one of the places flies lay their eggs. These nasty substances are ideal breeding habitats for them, and when they find it, they will enjoy it to their full advantage.

They do not necessarily enjoy feeding on it but use it more as a place to lay eggs. Once born, the larvae or maggots do not have to do much for food. They are surrounded by decomposing materials that fuel their growth and development.

11. Bird Droppings

Flies are attracted to birds dropping for the same reasons as pet feces. They are an ideal place for flies to lay eggs because, once their eggs hatch, the maggot can feed on the droppings.

So if you have a lot of bird feeders to welcome the birds in your garden, you might want to clean the droppings regularly. 

12. Plant

So far, most things that attract flies in your home have been nasty and disgusting, things you do not want to deal with. However, there is one exception - plant. Plants are the only beautiful things that flies are attracted to, and if you have many in your home, that explains why.

Flies feed on nectar and pollen of various flowering plants, with a special preference for white flowers that are easy to access. And this is not a bad thing, though. When they feed on pollen, they carry it from one flower to another and spur pollination. So, the next time you see flies buzzing around your flowers, do not chase them away. 

13. Rotten Vegetables and Fruits

Rotten vegetables and fruits can greatly attract flies. Therefore, if you have any damaged fruits or vegetables in your home, discard them because flies can lay eggs in such areas.

A rotten tomato or potato can breed dozens of fruit flies. Hence, getting rid of these is essential if you do not want any flies in your home. In fact, It may be better to clean the kitchen every time you finish cooking. 

14. Dirty Dishes

A long day warrants a delicious meal with your favorite show on Netflix. As you eat and enjoy your show, you are tempted to leave dirty dishes in the sink for tomorrow morning.

However, it is better not to. Dirty dishes have food residues that fly love, and if you have the habit of leaving dishes for the next morning, you may unintentionally attract flies into your home. So, even if takes every ounce of energy, you should wash the dishes before sleep. Dirty dishes have food residues that fly love.

15. Sugary Substances

You are not the only one with affixon for sweet stuff. Flies, too, love sugary substances like ripe fruits, syrups, and desserts. The flies cannot resist the scent of these sweet foods, and once they consume them, it gives them energy. In fact, according to research, flies love sweet substances so much that they respond to sweet food like humans.

This means that even though some animals do not find the food sweet like humans, flies mostly do. This happens because flies and humans live in similar surroundings that influence their taste preferences and feeding behavior.

Like most insects, flies hate certain scents because it disrupts their olfactory receptors. When you spray these scents around your home, they will avoid these areas. These scents might not eradicate the infestation, but they will prevent new ones from trying to enter your home. 

1. Basil: The basil you use in recipes doubles as a fly-preventer. They hate the slightly peppery and sweet scent of basil. You can grow these plants in the kitchen.
2. Cloves: Similarly, flies hate the smell of cloves. If you want to chase away those flies, place a bowl with cloves in the room with too many flies.
3. Mint: Mint is great for perfuming the air in your house and preventing the flies because they hate the scent as much as you love it.
4. Cinnamon: Flies cannot stand the scent of cinnamon so sprinkle them in fly infested areas.
5. Eucalyptus: Flies will stay as far as possible from your home if they detect the scent of eucalyptus oil. 

You might be able to kill mosquitoes with your hands if you try hard enough, but not flies. Flies have remarkable eyesight, which allows them to catch movements and light 1000 times faster and clearer than humans.

Additionally, they fly at 4.5 mph, beating their wings up to 200 times per second. This explains why it is nearly impossible to swat a fly with your hands. 

Despite their speed and vision, you can still kill flies in your homes, as long as you do not rely on your hands. 

• Before you start, have your weapon ready: the multi-surface cleaner. Use one that contains vinegar. 
• To kill a fly, you have to locate one. Make sure you turn on all the lights so the room is well-lit, as flies are attracted to light. Most of the time, the fly will land on the light or near the light source. 
• Once the fly lands, aim the multi-surface cleaner from a safe but close distance and SPRAY. The fly cannot react on time, so spray again for good measure.
• The chemicals in the cleaner will kill the fly in a matter of seconds.

Killing and getting rid of flies is time-consuming and no fun. The best thing to do is to employ preventative measures. But that is not the only reason you should prevent flies.

They reproduce so rapidly that the rate at which you might be killing the flies is effective against the rate at which new ones appear. To understand that better, you should know about the lifecycle of a fly.

A female housefly lives for about 25 days and lays eggs five or six times. Each time, she lays anywhere from 75 to 150 eggs.

The eggs take eight to 20 hours to hatch and become a maggot. The maggot then takes up to a week to become a pupae. After a few days, the pupae can lay eggs. So you can imagine just how fast a fly population can increase. 

So, to prevent flies, you should do the following: 

• Clear the trash can before it overfills.
• Wipe down kitchen counters and stoves after every meal.
• Keep the garden clean and well-maintained
• Clean your house weekly.
• Regularly clean areas that might be neglected, like behind the fridge or under sofas.
• Install scenes on windows and doors to keep the flies away.
• Use dim, warm yellow lights instead of bright white lights.
• Make apple cider vinegar traps in different areas of your homes to reduce the fly population. 

If you seem to have a severe fly problem that you could get rid of even with the methods mentioned above, it might be time to call a professional pest control service. An expert can come to assess the infestation and the breeding environment in your home.

They have the experience to know what potential causes to look for that you may have missed, as well as the specialized tools necessary to tackle even the most stubborn infestations.